8 months old and on her way to walking...

  

I'm in denial that Olivia is nearing that year mark. I can't believe it's only 4 months away. Olivia seems bent on walking long before then! The changes she has made this month have been HUGE! She is crawling fast, finding every nook in the house to hide in, opening cupboard doors, standing alone (while clapping and motorboating at the same time), TEETHING, eating real solid foods (avocados, bananas, pasta, Cheerios, Kix, peaches, mandarin oranges, chicken pot pie, and more), walking if she can hold onto your fingers, and impressing us with her vocabulary of ba-ba, da-da, mmmmmma, and pa-pa (more an airy whisper of pa-pa).

This would be banana cookies, sweet potatoes, and heaven knows what else! :)

 I have started teaching her some sign language - I think she thinks it's a game because she usually bursts into a smile and starts clapping. She crosses her hands in front of her mouth if she is done eating or drinking - and has started becoming more picky about what she eats when. I think it has more to do with the fact that now she has 2 teeth (bottom), she wants to actually bite and chew on food. We had to laugh when Aaron offered her a taste of his ice cream sandwich a few weeks back; rather than just suck on it, Livi took a HUGE bite! She loved the texture, the temperature, and the taste; TROUBLE for Daddy. :) Her naps are shortening as well. She still takes 2 - one in the morning around 9:30am, and another in the afternoon around 1:30pm. They last no more than 2 hours, and sometimes only last 30 minutes! It's complicating my "get things done around the house" schedule...so I'm realizing the reality that motherhood is all about adaptation (and to-do lists).

Olivia is taking more of an interest in what we do as adults - she loves chasing the vacuum, watching the ladies get ready for the day, helping Grandpa fix the fridge, typing Daddy's resume on the laptop, and playing with the PS3 controllers with Uncle Jordan (even when he's not playing!). She is fast outgrowing her clothes, now wearing the 9 month size. With the hot weather I've been putting her in skirts and shorts, only to find that she has rug and floor burns from all her crawling! So, light pants and longer shorts are definitely needed in the house.

We also took Livi swimming for the first time this month! It was so fun to watch her splash around and brave going under the water with Mommy and Daddy! :) When Auntie Chelle was visiting, we all went to the beach - Olivia's second time! This time she took ownership of the beach - tasting the sand, chasing the little boy sitting near us (he was 3 months older than Livi), throwing sand, sitting in the ocean water (just the little bit left over after each wave), and of course - refusing to nap. She was wired most of the day, including during dinner in downtown Santa Cruz. It wasn't until our drive home that she finally crashed. Despite our best efforts - she still had sand her diaper that next morning. :)

Looking forward to next month....we are expecting to see her take her first steps, increase her vocabulary, try new foods, teeth some more, and get her first haircut! :) We are truly blessed to have such a beautiful daughter. Her personality is shining through - she is so full of love and life - and commands the attention of all around her (just like her daddy). We are in love with her and can't wait to continue watching her grow up.